Control station for postal pneumatic tube plants



June 29, 1937. H. MAUCH El AL CONTROL STATION FOR POSTAL PNEUMATIC TUBE PLANTS Filed NOV. 11, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOHS.

June 29, 1937. H. MAUCH ET AL 2,085,265

CONTROL STATION FOR POSTAL PNEUMATIC TUBE PLANTS Filed Nov. 11, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 29, 1937. MAUCH ET AL 2,085,265

ll 17 M MW U?? June'29, 1937. H, MAUCH Er AL 2,085,265

CONTROL STATION FOR POSTAL PNEUMATIC TUBE PLANTS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed NOV. 11, 1932 Patented June 29, 1937 CONTRQL STATION FOR POSTAL PNEU- MATIC TUBE PLANTS Hans Manon and Arno Horn, Berlin-Charlottenburg, Germany, assignors parat-Fabrik E. Zwietusch to Telephon-Ap- & 00. G. m. b. H.,

Berlin-Charlottenburg, Germany 4 Claims.

It is known to equip the dispatch carriers with adjustable contact segments, by which according to the turning of these rings relative to a fixed contact segment the controlling operations necessary for conducting the carriers to their destination are released. In a control station, which is arranged in front of each carrier deflector or common for several carrier deflectors the position of the adjustable contact segments relative to the fixed contact segment is ascertained, and the controlling operations for setting the carrier deflectors resulting therefrom are released. As the dispatch carrier can turn around its longitudinal axis during its travel through the pneumatic tube it is necessary to either guide the carriers during their travel or provide at the control station a device by which the dispatch carrier is brought into the normal position.

The object of the present invention is to dispense with the arrangements which were necessary in the known plants to bring the dispatch carrier into the normal position at the control station. With the construction of the control station according to the invention it is possible, to ascertain the setting of the adjustable contact segment relative to the fixed contact segment irrespective into which position the dispatch carrier has turned and to utilize this setting for the control of the carrier deflectors.

This advantage is obtained by providing on the control station current feeders and contact pins designed to come into contact, the current feeders with contact pieces fixed on the carrier and the contact pins one with the fixed contact segment and the others with the adjustable contact segments of said contact pieces. For ascertaining the position of the adjustable contact segment relative to .the fixed contact segment by difference formation from the result of the feeling. As shown by the constructional examples hereinafter described the ascertaining of the difference between the position of the fixed contact segment and the position of the adjustable contact segments can be effected in various manners by electrical control means. It may be nevertheless mentioned, that this ascertaining might also be efiected by purely mechanical means, when methods are employed as known in calculating machines.

It should also be noted, that the position of the carrier in the control station is very unfavourable for ascertaining the destination sign if the fixed contact segment is just situated midway between two contact pins. So as to ensure a reliable working of the control station when a carrier is in this critical position, the fixed contact segment is, according to the invention, constructed so that, when the carrier is in such a critical position, this contact segment either comes into contact with two contact pins or with no contact pins. This criterion is utilized for actuating a controlling operation by which auxiliary contact pins, which are not in a critical position relative to the carrier, are rendered operative for ascertaining the destination mark. It is however possible to allow the contact pin to carry out a rectifying movement instead of em ploying auxiliary contact pins with unchangeable position.

Several embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic of a pneumatic tube plant.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through a control station.

Fig. 3 shows one form of wiring scheme of the control station.

Fig. 4 shows an alternative form of wiring scheme for the control station.

Fig. 5 shows in cross section another embodiment according to which the contact ring of the control station is turned so that the contact pins carry out a rectifying movement.

Fig. 5a is a side elevation of the contact ring shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 6 shows a suitable wiring scheme for the embodiment shown in Fig. 5.

In Fig. 1 control stations Stl and S122 are shown. The dispatch carriers travelling in the direction of the arrow are to be alternatively conducted to the destination stations I to IX. Two group carrier deflectors GWI and GWZ are shown in the diagram, besides which a plurality of single carrier deflectors WI to W9 are shown which lead to the destination stations I to IX. As shown in Fig. 2 adjusting rings ERI and ER2 rotatable around the longitudinal axis of the carrier are provided on the dispatch carriers. The ring ERI has a contact segment N I, which glides along a slip ring SR2. The contact ring ERZ has also a contact segment N2, which slides along a slip ring SR3. The size of the contact segments NI and N2 in the example illustrated amounts to one eighth of the circumference of the rings ERI, ERZ respectively. A contact piece M is rigid with the slip ring SRI. Eight division lines 0, I, to I are engraved in the slip rings SR2 and SR3. In the middle of each of the contact segments Ni and N2 a division line Zl, Z2 is enview showing a plan graved. Before dispatching the carrier the contact segment Ni is set to one of the division lines 0, I, 2 and so forth of the slip ring SR2. This setting designates the group carrier deflector GW which must be actuated to enable the carrier to reach its destination. By adjusting the contact segment N2 to a certain division line 0 to l of the slip ring SR3 the carrier deflector W! or W2 and so forth is indicated which has to be actuated. With the two rings SR2 and SR3 each provided with eight division lines 9 to i it is possible to determine 64 stations as in each tube section branching off behind a group carrier defiector GW there may be eight station carrier deflectors Wl, W2 to W8 which can be selected by adjusting the segment N2 to one of the division lines 0 to I. Fig. 1 shows only a section of the whole plant. The station points Wi, W2 are successively numbered and as the illustration would end with station IX the carrier deflector corresponding to station IX is designated by W9. For example the carrier deflectors Wi, W5, W4 and WT! can be selected when the contact segment N2 is set to the division line I. When the carrier is destined for the station I, the group carrier deflector GWl must be so set that the carrier runs into the branch designated by GO. This is effected by adjusting the contact segment NI for example to the division line 0. In the event of the carrier being destined for the station IV the segment N! must be set to another division line for example to the division line2. If the carrier is destined for the station VII, the segment .Nl must again be set to another division line, for example to the division line I. Although the segment N2 in the exam ples described is always adjusted to the division line I, the carrier travels to the stations I, IV or VII according to the adjustment of the. segment N2 by the influence of the group carrier deflector GWI. It must be observed that the station. carrier deflectors WI, W2 and so forth situated in the different pipe branches behind the group carrier deflector, can be selected by the same adjustment of the contact segment. A current feeder Kl brushes against the slip ring SRl. Current is supplied to the slip rings SR2 and SR3 by current feeders K2 and. K3. Eight contact pins Al to A8, which are uniformly distributed around the circumference of the ringSRl brush against the circumference of this'ring at the height of the contact piece M. Eight contact brushes Bl to B8, which are uniformly distributed around the circumference of the adjusting ring ERI, brush against the circumference of this adjusting ring ERl. As the size of the contact segment Ni is one eighth of the circumference of the ring ERI, one of the pins Bi. to B8 always comes into contact with the contact segment NI. Eight contact pins CI to C8 brush against the. adjusting ring ER2. The pins CI to C8 are so arranged that one of these pins always comes into contact with the contact segment N2. In each circular row of'contact pins AI-A8, BIB8, ClC8 the pins are arranged in the same horizontal plane and the corresponding contact pins of all rows are arranged in the same vertical plane. The same applies to the brushes A2,.B2, C2 and so forth. At the control station a locking lever Sp is provided by which the oncoming carrier is first arrested to enable the testing of the positions of the contact segments NI and N2 relative to the fixed contact segment M.

To facilitate the understanding of the diagram shown in Fig. 3 it is assumed that the Contact seement Ni is set to the division line 4 and the contact segment NZ to the division line i. The fixed contact segment M serving as ways registering with the division line 9. It is assumed that the dispatch carrier has accidentally arrived at the control station in the position shown diagrammatically in Fig. 3, that is the contact segment M does not come into contact with the contact pin A8 but with the contact pin'AZ. Also, the contact segment Ni does not come into contact with the contact pin B t but with the contact pin B6, and the contact segment N2 brushes against the pin C3. When the carrier is in this position the following circuit is closed:--

(1) Earth, relay H, current feeder Kl, slip ring SR5, fixed contact segment M, contact pin A2, contact 911, relay R2, battery. The attraction of a relay is dependent upon the current flowing through the relay and the construction of the relay, such as number of windings, armature,

yoke and load of the armature. By the number of contact springs and suitable choice of the constructional elements it is therefore possible when two relays are connected in series, to attract one relay and not attract another relay with the same current. This is an obvious measure known to every electric control technician and therefore does not need further description.

The resistances of the relays Rl to R8 are so chosen that the relay H in the circuit i does not attract, whereas the relay R2 does. The contacts H2 to 912 are reversed, that is the operating contacts H2, 212 to 3T2 in the diagram are closed and the contact 9T2 is opened. The operating contacts of the relays Rl to R8 are shown in the wiring scheme. In Figs 3 and 4 the relays. are designated by capital letters, whereas the contacts of the relays are designated by small letters. The individual contacts on each relay are designated by prefixed numbers. For example the relay H in Fig. 3 has eight contacts lh, 2h, 3h, Mt, 5h, 6h, lit and 8h. The contacts of the relays are shown in the position they occupy when the relay is excited. All the contacts of each of the relays R! to R8 are shown. The contacts irl, 2H to 811 and the contacts 1T2, 2T2, 312 and so forth to 8T2 of the relay R2 are operating contacts, that is the two contact springs are closed when the relay is excited. By the operation of the relay R2 the following circuit is closed:-

(2) Earth, contact Zu, current feeder K2, slip ring SR2, contact segment NI, contact pin B6, contact 6h, contact 612, relay G4, relay V, contact lu, battery.

The relay G4 in a circuit not shown in the drawings closes in known manner the circuit for a magnet which reverses the corresponding carrier deflector GW in a suitable manner. is caused to respond through the contact 1) of relay V, which relay is held through its own contact 3a in dependency on the tube contact ik (Fig. 2). Owing to the respondingof the relay U the following circuit is closed through the operative contact 2a:

(3) Earth, 2w, K3, SR3, N2, C3, 3h, 3T2, relay Si, lu, battery.

In the circuit 3 the relay Si attracts its contacts (not shown.) and the group relay G4 operates the corresponding carrier deflector.

The group point magnet G4 is caused to attract according to the adjustment of the contact segment NI to the division line t, and the relay Si according to the adjustment of the contact segment NZ to the division line I. The carrier at the control station can now leave same.

The relay U Assume that the carrier happens to be in the control station in such a position that the fixed contact segment M comes simultaneously into contact with two pins A2 and A3. The length of the contact segment M must be slightly greater than the distance between two contact pins, whereas the length of the contact segments N l and N2 is slightly less than the distance between two contact pins. In the example in question the contact segment N i is therefore midway between the contact pins B6 and B1, without coming into contact with either. The contact segment N2 likewise is midway between the contact pins C3 and C 3. As the contact pins A2 and A3 are connected with the contact segment M the relays H, R2 and R3 attract in the following circuit:-

(4) Earth, H, Kl, SRI, M, A2, 911, R2, battery, and parallel thereto:

A3, 9T2, R3, battery.

In this circuit the relays H, R2 and R3 attract their contacts.

Owing to the parallel connection of the relays R2 and R3 the current for the relay H is increased, so that this relay can attract. After the relay R2 has attracted, the circuit for the relay R3 is interrupted by the contact 9T2. The strength of current of relay H is reduced by cutting out of relay R3 but is still sufiicient to prevent this relay from dropping off. The contact pins Bl to B8 and C! to C8 are switched onto the contacts of the relays Rl to R8 by the contacts Hz to 9h of the relay H. The circuit (2) is closed through the contact pins B6, whereas the circuit (3) is closed through the contact pins C3. As already mentioned above the resistances of the relays Rl to R8 are so chosen that the relay H, when it is connected in series with one of these relays, receives insufiicient current, that is it does not attract. When the windings of two of the relays R! to R8 are connected in parallel, assuming that each winding has the same resistance, only half the resistance is operative in the circuit for the relay H so that the current in the relay H increases correspondingly and causes the relay H to attract. The succeeding control operations are the same as already described.

The second constructional example of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 4. Step-by-step switches are employed instead of the contact arrangement of a series of relays connected by wires in known manner for difference formation. It is assumed for the sake of simplicity that only the station points St, S! and so forth have to be influenced from the control station. The ascertaining of this station point is effected also in this instance by shifting the contact segment N relative to the contact piece M.

Assume that the contact segment N is put on the division line 3 in order that the relay S3 be influenced when the pneumatic dispatch carrier is in the control station Stl, the relay S3 will then effect the reversing of the carrier deflector W3. The pneumatic dispatch carrier 2 arrives at the control station in the position indicated, that is the contact segment M, which is always opposite the division line I), does not come into contact with the contact pin A8 but with the contact pin A3. In this position the adjusting segment N does not come into contact with the contact pin B3 but with the contact pin B6. As soon as the carrier is arrested at the control station by the locking lever Sp (see Fig. 2), the contacts lk, 27c are reversed, that is the contacts I and 270 are closed and assume the position indicated in full lines in Fig. 2. By the closing of contact 27c break current is supplied to the rotary magnet DI, so that the contact arms 0,1, bl, cl, dl, @l are moved on stepwise in a manner similar to that of the known automatic telephone selector disc mechanism:-

(5) Earth, break contact U, tube contact 270 in the control station, rotary magnet DI, contact 31. of the relay T, battery.

As soon as the contact arm cl has reached the step 3 the relay P attracts in the following circuit:

(6) Earth, current feeder Kl, slip ring SRI, contact segment M, contact pin A3, contact arm cl, contact 2h of the relay H, testing relay P, tube contact Hc, battery.

The relay P is held by its own contact lp; therefore the relay P must remain excited when the contact arm cl is moved on and consequently the exciter circuit for the relay P is interrupted. The retaining circuit for the relay P extends through earthl o- P-lk-battery; the rotary magnet D2 receives break current through the contact 332 of the relay P, so that the contact arms a2, D2 are moved on in steps. The contact arms al to e! of the one step-by-step switch and the contact arms a2, b2 of the second step-bystep switch now move on in the same rhythm. The contact arms a! to ei of the first step-bystep switch move three steps ahead of the contact arms a2, 222 of the second step-by-step switch. As soon as the contact arm a! reaches the step 6 the relay T attracts in the following circuit:-

('7) Earth, current feeder K2, slip ring SR2, contact segment N, contact pin B6, contact arm a! on step 6, contact 3h, relay T, contact 2p, battery.

The relay T is held over its own contact It. Thedefiector magnet S3 is now excited in the following circuit through the contact 2t owing to the attraction of the relay T:

(8) Battery, contact 2t, contact arm a2 on step 3, magnet S3, earth.

By means of the relay S3 a carrier deflector magnet is switched which actuates the carrier deflector leading to station HI. By the reversing of the contact 225 the rotary magnet D2 becomes dead and the attracting circuit for the rotary magnet Di is interrupted by breaking the contact 3t. The contact 3t is not interrupted by the dropping of the rotary magnet D2 but the attraction of the relay T in the circuit 7 causes the reversal of the contacts It, 2t, 3t. Contact 2t causes the switching out of the magnet D2 and the contact 325 causes the switching out of the magnet D1. The carrier leaves the control point when the points GW and W (Fig. l) are set, so that the carrier reaches the stations I, II, III for which it is destined. As soon as the carrier has left the control station, the tube contacts lk and 270 return into their inoperative positions. The retaining circuit for the relay P is interrupted by the contact Hc. Owing to the drop ping of the relay P the relay T becomes dead, its retaining circuit being interrupted by the contact 2p. The contact arm e is moved in steps by the rotary magnet in the same manner as the contact arms a!, bl, cl, CH. The contacts L9 brushed by the contact arm el are interconnected, contrary to the contact steps brushed by the contact arms at, bl, cl, (1!. The contact arm D2 is moved by the rotary magnet DE. The rotary magnet D! is again excited by the contact arm el and the rest contact St, the contact arms al to el being returned into their initial positions.

4- The rotary magnet D2 likewise receives break current in the following circuit:-

(9) Battery, 22?, D2, D2, 3p, U, earth. A

As soon as the contact arms (12, b2 have reached their initial positions which is step ll, the circuit 9 is broken by the contact arms b2. The relay I-I should only attract when the carrier in the control station is in an unfavorable position relatively to the contact brushes Al, A2 El, E2 In this instance the determination-of the angle between adjustable mark N relatively to the fixed mark M is effected by the auxiliary contact brushes Al, A2 A2, B2 and Bl, 1B2 In order to ensure a reliable feeling of the mark on the carrier when the adjusting elements on the carrier happen to be in an unfavourable position relative to the feeler elements in the control station, a reversing is caused. For this purpose the length of the contact segment M is chosen slightly shorter than the distance between two contact pins Al, A2 and so forth, so that, when the carrier is in an unfavourable position, the contact segment M will not come into contact with one of the pins Al, A2 and so forth.

Assume, that the contact segment M is situated midway between the contact pins A3 and A4. Consequently, when the contact arm cl checks the position of the contact segment M,

the testing potential on the current feeder Kl does not lie on any of the steps I to 8. However, the following circuit is made on the step 9:-

(10) Earth, relay H, contact arm cl on step 9, contact 2h, relay P, tube contact llc, battery.

In this circuit only the relay H attracts as the winding of this relay must be of such high resistance, that the relay P cannot respond. The contacts lh, Zn and 3h are actuated when the relay H is excited. Relay H is held in the following circuit:-

(11) Earth, H, lh, 3t, battery.

As the attracting circuit for the rotary magnet Dl (earth, break contact U, tube contact 2k in the control station, rotary magnet D, contact 3t of the relay T, battery) has not yet been broken by the contact 3t, the contact arms al to el are shifted a second time over the different contact steps. As soon as the contact arm dl has reached the step 3, the relay P attracts in the following circuit:-

(12) Earth, Kl, llc, battery.

By the attraction of the relay P break current is supplied to the rotary magnet D2 over the contact 321, as already explained, so that the contact arms a2 and b2 move on simultaneously with the contact arms a! to 6!. As soon as the contact arm bl reaches the step 6, the relay '1 attracts in the following circuit:-

(13) Earth, K2, SR2, N, B6, bl on step 6, 372., T, 210, battery. Therelay T in the circuit l3 has attracted and actuates thecontacts it, 2t, St. The circuit for, the magnet D2 is interrupted by the contact 215 and the circuit for the relay S3 closed over the contact 213. The contact arm a2 is on the step 3 when the relay T attracts. The contact arm a2 moved by the magnet D2 has moved from step E3 to step 3 during the same time as the contact arm bl is moved by D! from step 3 to step 6.

Owing to the reversal of the contact 2t and the contact arm a2 on the step 3, the point magnet S3 attracts and the rotary magnet D2 is stopped. By the opening of the contact 323 when the relay T attracts the attracting circuit M, A3, all on step 3, 2h, P,

for the rotary magnet Dl is broken and the relay I-I caused to drop by breaking the contact 3t because it was held by the circuit earth, H, in closed, 3t closed and battery. The further control op-. erations and. the return movement of the step-bystep switch are the same as already described.

Instead of effecting a switching over onto the auxiliary contact pins by a relay H, the main contact pins themselves might be moved into the position shown in dash lines. In this instance the contact arms'bl' and dl are not necessary; however for the same a device must be substituted in the control station by which the entire ring of contact'pins is rotated through a certain angle. Fig. 5' shows how this can be carriedcut.

The superposed contact pins Al, Bl, A2, B2 and so forth are fixed in a cylindrical insulating element J inserted in the tube. which, as shown in Fig. 2, is rotatable around the tube axis. A projection Z on the cylinder J is acted upon by a spring F. The projection Z is pressed against the plunger core HI of the magnet H by the spring F. The movement of the core H! is limited by a fixed abutment An. When the magnet H attracts as described in connection with Fig. 4, the cylinder J is rotated a certain angle by the core HI in opposition to the action of the spring F, so that the brushes Al, BI and so forth move out of their critical position for feeling the destination mark. A notch X is provided on the cylinder J in which notch a pawl L engages in order to maintain the brushes in their new position after the magnet H has become dead. 'As soon as the carrier leaves the controlstation, an abutment Q rigidly connected to the locking lever Sp'is moved in the direction of the arrow by the'movement of the locking lever Sp and lifts the pawl L out of engagement with the notch X so that the cylinder J is returned into its initial position by the action of the spring F. The above described correcting movement of the contact pins might also be effected by mechanical means, if, for example, the contact pins are not, as is here the case, constructed as contact brushes, but as feeler pins which feel the destination mark composed of projections and depressions on the surface of the carrier.

We claim:

1. Control station for pneumatic tube plants in which carrier deflectors situated behind the control station in the direction of travel of the carrier are electrically adjusted from the control station by contact segments adapted to be displaced by hand about the axis of the carrier relatively to a fixed contact segment thereon according to the desired destination station before dispatching the carrier; comprising in combination contact pins arranged in sets on the inner wall of the tube, the contact pins of each set uniformly distributed on the wall of the tube and situated in the same horizontal plane, all contact pins consecutively numbered, the contact pins of the same numeral in the different setssituated in the same vertical plane, one current feeder for each set of contact pins, all current feeders being consecutively numbered, a number of contact pieces on a carrier one for each current feeder, a fixed contact segment on one of said contact pieces, an adjustable contact segment on each of the other contact pieces, and a switch arrangement connected with the contact pins and the current feeders for determining the angular displacement between the adjustedcontact -segments and the fixed contact segment on the carrier by the difference between the numerals of the contact pins at the control station engaging the adjusted con-tact segments of the carrier and the numeral of the contact pin at the control station engaging the fixed contact segment of the carrier.

2. A control station as specified in claim 1, comprising in combination with the dispatch carrier and the contact pins, auxiliary contact pins arranged displaced relative to said first mentioned contact pins, the fixed contact segment on said carrier being larger than the interval between two adjacent contact pins, and an auxiliary relay adapted to be actuated by said fixed contact segment in the event of said carrier being in an unfavorable position for the feeling operation by said first mentioned contact pins, said relay adapted to switch the switch arrangement on to said auxiliary contact pins.

3. A control station as specified in claim 1,

comprising in combination with the dispatch carrier and the contact pins in the tube, a movable piece of said tube carrying the current feeders and the contact pins, the fixed contact segment of the carrier being longer than the distance between two adjacent contact pins, an outwardly directed spring-controlled projection on said tube piece, and an electric arrangement adapted to be actuated by said fixed contact segment to bring said contact pins into a favorable position for feeling a dispatch carrier arriving at the control station in an unfavorable position.

4. A control station as specified in claim 1, in which the number of contact pins for ascertaining the position of the fixed contact segment is equal to the number of contact pins for ascertaining the position of said adjustable contact segments.

HANS MAUCH. ARNO HORN. 

